


pothos

by murphysics



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Atlas CEO Rhys, M/M, Mentions of Stalking, NO SEX HAPPENS, and creepiness, and probably cracky?, brought to you with: respect for Rhys' resilience, no anything happens, rating is for the swears, this is small and ridiculous, we have decorum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29000898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murphysics/pseuds/murphysics
Summary: "You're a cruel, cruel man," Katagawa says, grinning. "Especially to yourself. Think of all the sex we could be having."
Relationships: Katagawa Jr./Rhys (Borderlands)
Kudos: 10





	pothos

**Author's Note:**

> it's small and not edited, but well. A Thing. no plot happens as well

The door in his office creaks and Rhys opens his mouth to tell Gin he's finished for the day and will take whatever is it from home when he meets the dark eyes. 

"Evening," Katagawa says and grins in the exaggerated manic way - like he does when he's talking about The Merge. Rhys isn't entirely sure what he has done in his past lives to deserve him, but it is what it is, so he sighs and attempts to stare down the screen of his workstation. 

"Your minions are locked under the AM15," he says steadily. "Leave a good tip for guards — they are a handful." 

"Oh, you can totally keep them, buddy," Katagawa says, and Rhys knows he's waving his hand. Is he armed, Rhys wonders. "Simmons tried to sabotage Maliwan's deal with Glimmersoft. We're upset and disappointed." 

"You're not using Atlas to store your traitors, aren't you?" 

"I mean, _you_ store them. As far as I'm concerned, you could have thrown them to drift the Skywell belt and used them for target practice from 27," Katagawa sits in the chair in front of his table, because that's why the chair is there: for visitors. 

Rhys rubs his forehead and dares another look at him. Katagawa has a new earring, a silver ring on top of his right ear, an addition to two black ones that go on the side of it. He wears a black sweater and jeans, and Rhys _knows_ he should be thankful for the absence of shirts and suits and lines, but somehow, he fucking isn't. He rubs his forehead again and stares at the screen. He counts in his head and, at 56, Katagawa continues. 

"I know you're free for the day. Want to go on a date?" 

Rhys laughs, probably childishly, but _well. "_ Whatever you've seen in my calendar is not, by any means—" 

"Your real schedule. It's a dummy you created specifically for annoying creeps who want The Merge, I know, and I'm flattered you graced me with these efforts," Katagawa says, and Rhys is tired and controls himself perfectly, which is why he _glares._ Katagawa smiles at him in a slightly less manic way. Rhys cannot believe he calls the deal he's been pushing The Merge, too; in irritated capital letters. "Ginevra says you're free for today, though. So: your answer?" 

"I'm busy," Rhys says, looking in his eyes, an emphasis on this honest to god truth; he is busy, always, and has no need to address _anything_ Katagawa says. 

"With nothing that can't wait," Katagawa replies and puts a hand under his cheek, and pouts _._ "Please, go on a date with me, Rhys, or I'll be forced to walk out from the building past her without you and listen to another lecture on how you know no chill, and I am not prepared for that." 

"Am I supposed to feel sympathetic?" Rhys asks, trying to control the tilt of his lips. "You tortured me with negotiations for six months. You stalk me, you have no concept of personal boundaries and there are sixteen - sixteen - Maliwan's employees in Atlas' manufacturing building because sending them on a mission to _stalk_ me is your way of firing them. You'll be okay with a little lecture, I think." 

"Yes, but consider this: a date," Katagawa says lightly and bats his eyelashes. 

"You're ridiculous," Rhys answers, failing to keep himself from smiling. "And nope. Get the fuck out, Katagawa." 

"You're a cruel, cruel man," Katagawa says, grinning, and gets up from the chair. "Especially to yourself. Think of all the sex we could be having." Oh, Rhys thought about it just fine, and, if Katagawa's expression is of any indication, he knows he did. 

"Tell Gin I'm going to kill her on your way out," Rhys murmurs, and watches Katagawa's shoulders as he moves to the door. What a joy to be a reasonable person, he thinks, ignoring the thoughts on how much rejection Katagawa can take until he a) snaps, b) backs the fuck off forever; or until Rhys c) yields. 

Yields. The choice of language is exactly the problem why Rhys thinks that The Mess Katagawa offers him is a bad idea; he doesn't want to feel like he's giving up something. He wonders if Katagawa's even really keeping tabs on his pseudo calendar, or— 

Katagawa is still standing at the door. 

"Anything else?" Rhys asks calmly. 

That is where the "yield" from: negotiations, the last day, Katagawa's mouth, "I yield," a smile, and his sister's — Sana — concerned, brief look, barely noticeable if not for an accident. Rhys learned more about intergalactic business from these six months than he did in Hyperion, which is, well; would count as a victory if not for this _look._

"Do you think I can use the emergency exit?" Katagawa asks, turning back to him and leaning on the door. 

"You didn't promise her anything, did you?" 

"It's very sweet you care about my well-being, buddy," Katagawa says.

Rhys sighs and touches a biometric panel under his table. 

"I hope that's not the only way to access it," Katagawa comments, going to another door near the bookshelves. Rhys has watched some classic, okay. 

"Don't you worry your pretty head about it," Rhys snaps, and _oh_ the Foot in his mouth, where did _that_ come from — he doesn't need the answer. He does not. Katagawa looks at him with a stone-cold expression, but Rhys recognizes the sheer laugh in his eyes. "Get out." 

"Sure," Katagawa smirks and leaves. The door closes, softly. 

*

"Could you please _not_ meddle with my private life?" 

Gin gives him an unimpressed look that stays on the bags under his eyes way too long, sighs, and gets something out from under her table. A carton box. 

"He left a plant for you," Gin says nonchalantly. "You could use some oxygen." 

Rhys raises his eyebrows at her. 

"I didn't text him, Rhys. He just came and brought a plant, and I thought you'd be happy to see him since it's been—" Rhys eyebrows, as it feels, leave the atmosphere. "—four months since the negotiations— so I asked if he wants to come in, and he said yes, and bla and bla. So here is: a pothos. Take care of it." 

She moves the box with a plant to him and turns back to her screen where Rhys sees, she's in the middle of her favorite cooking show. Rhys takes the box, because okay. Okay. Plants are good. Gin's fingers hover over the space and she looks at him expectantly. 

"He's a creep, Gin," Rhys says, somehow feeling the need to explain himself, which is stupid. 

"I'm sorry I overstepped. It won't happen again," Gin sighs, and smiles at him - gentle, kind wrinkles near her brown eyes. "Sometimes, people spend their time with creeps. They walk with them, listen to ridiculous stories about their siblings and social business experiments, and troll their creepiness. Which you did before and— I assumed, and it was wrong." 

"Eh, no need to make this a Whole Thing," Rhys says quickly, and uncontrollably clutches the box. "It's fine, just don't do it again. I hate surprises." 

"Sure, boss, I understand," Gin nods and then shifts back to her nonchalance. "Now go home and sleep, you look like a zombie who needs a hug, it pains me that you don't even consider giving yourself a br—"

"Goodbye," Rhys says promptly and hurries to the elevator. He looks inside of the box, and there's a post-it note under a green leaf, a thin, careful letters. 

_All the Sex, Buddy_ , with fucking glitter gold stars glued around it. Rhys snorts, rolling his eyes. 

**Author's Note:**

> jack's imaginary voice in rhys' head: you know exactly where this is coming from, cupcake. 
> 
> gin, hoping that katagawa didn't come back because they had sex: oh good (sees Rhys) oh. Shit.


End file.
